Adding Fruit to an already complex beer, should I do it?

It's your beer brew what you want. You will not know if you do not go! Good luck

 

Why not? If you've gotten the base recipe to where you like it, now is the time to experiment. Add cherry next time. Add cherry and remove espresso time after that. Etc. etc. etc.

My own personal preference with cherry and other tart fruit flavors in a stout is that less is more, but a hint of fruit is a nice addition to a well-made stout.

 

You can always add it to part of the beer if you are worried.

 

This sounds like the best bet. Put some cherries into a 1gal carboy, rack onto that, package the rest as you normally would. If you like the stuff with cherries, scale up for the next batch.

 

Good advice, as each extra ingredient adds to the cost. Might as well brew scaled down versions of expensive experimental recipes.

 

Sounds like too much to me, but hey, it's not my beer.

I'd do a small amount if so inclined.

 

I wouldn't. Cherries are expensive and should be used as a highlight for a beer. Oak will overpower this. So would coffee, for that matter. For this one let the oak and the chocolate do the talking. For the 4th one I'd consider ramping up the chocolate a little, keeping it off oak, and adding the cherries. Oh, and no coffee next time either.

 

Yes!
No!
Maybe!

whatever?

 

I think it's a good idea to split it. I recently did this with an old ale I brewed. After aging it, half went into the bottles and half went into a plastic bucket on top of dried fruits, cherries prune and raisons. I like the one aged on fruit a little better but they are both good. I also do some 1 gallon batches for my more experimental brews that I don't want to buy 5 gallons worth of ingredients. My latest was a rye wine, which might be aged on fruit if it doesn't mellow out

 

Coffee and chocolate sound good to me. Chocolate and cherry sound good as well. But coffee, chocolate and cherry sound gross as hell. Since you've made it with coffee and chocolate twice, and liked it, I'd make it this time with cherries but without the coffee. You can always fresh brew coffee and add it to your beer when serving, to see if you like it that way. I personally just hate flavored coffee (other than maybe mocha), and the idea of cherry-coffee turns my stomach.

 

Nobody ever hit upon the next new sensation by following someone else's recipe - or by following the rules. What's the worst that could happen anyway? If you're really worried about the results that much, keep a copy of the number for the waaaambulance on your refrigerator for quick reference, just in case.

Besides, adding cherries to a beer isn't a huge risk. Well, maybe to chipotle pickle green curry berliner weiss smoked beer aged in chardonnay barrels, perhaps.

 

Split it. 2.5 gallons on fruit and 2.5 gallons plain. You get two beers for the effort of one.